Maggie Pfaff EN 102 Summary Essay 16 January 2019 Body AND Brain In a world where working classes are often divided, is it safe to make the assumption that blue-collar occupations lack intellectual aspects and rely solely on physical labor? If so, then how is it that those in the blue-collar workforce are among the best and brightest of today’s society? Mike Rose, a professor at UCLA Graduate School, further discusses these questions in his essay “Blue-Collar Brilliance.” Rose unravels the myths regarding social biases and delineates personal narratives to help prove that blue-collar work demands both body and brain. While many classify blue-collar occupations as physical jobs that lack mental skills, there is ample evidence provided to prove that those holding blue-collar jobs learn from social interactions, possess fine-motor skills, and solve problems. One of the reasons Rose classifies blue-collar jobs as mentally demanding is the vast amount of social interaction taking place on a day-to-day basis. Rose opens his essay with an anecdote from his early childhood, recalling his time spent watching and analyzing his mother work as a waitress. “Her tip depended on how well she responded to these [customers’] needs, and so she became adept at reading social cues and managing feelings, both the customers’ and her own” (Rose 246). Rose’s mother would often find herself pondering the problems of her customers all while honing her ability to deal with people (Rose 246). Not only did his mother deal with the stress of customer service, she also had to do her actual job, one that required excellent memory and strategic movement. Rose’s mother is the epitome of a blue-collar worker who learns from everyday social interactions. Along with learning from social interaction, blue-collar workers must also hone the fine-motor skills necessary to complete required tasks. Like Rose’s mother, his uncle held a blue-collar occupation working in a car factory. Over time, Rose’s uncle was able to master the movement of his hands, eventually earning himself a promotion and becoming an excellent manager. Rose describes the importance of perfecting the use of one’s hands when he states, “The use of tools requires the studied refinement of stance, grip, balance, and fine-motor skills” (251). Rose also adds that his uncle would often mention how much more he learned in the shop than at school (Rose 248). Rose finally explains fine-motor skills in relation to blue-collar jobs when he suggests, “Carpenters have an eye for length, line, and angle; mechanics troubleshoot by listening; hair stylists are attuned to shape, texture, and motion” (251). Rose’s uncle is just one example of how blue-collar workers learn important fine-motor skills to help increase efficiency within their job. Not only are fine-motor skills perfected through working blue-collar jobs, but one also learns the importance of solving problems. Rose introduces this importance when he claims, “To work is to solve problems” (251). He then goes on in detail to describe the problems both his mother and uncle face on a daily basis. “Joe constantly faced new problems and became a consummate multi-tasker, evaluating a flurry of demands quickly, parceling out physical and mental resources, keeping a number of ongoing events in his mind, returning to whatever task had been interrupted, and maintaining a cool head under the pressure of grueling production schedules” (Rose 248). Rose concludes by informing the reader that his mother had to solve problems while working and suggesting that she had to make every move count (245). Over time, those holding blue-collar jobs become exceptional at quickly solving problems and dealing with them in a way that is both professional and effective. After reading Rose’s essay, it is safe to conclude that those holding blue-collar occupations use both body and brain because they learn to communicate well with others, enhance fine-motor skills to perfection, and solve problems diligently. The examples of Rose’s mother and uncle help disprove the common stereotype of a brainless, simple blue-collar worker. Next time one assumes those in the blue-collar workforce lack intelligence, they must ask themselves if they are undermining the integrity of those holding jobs necessary for survival.
Work Cited Rose, Mike. "Blue-Collar Brilliance" They Say I Say with Readings, by Gerald Graff et al., 2nd ed., New York, W.W. Norton and Company, 2012, pp. 243-255.